Honey Sesame Chicken – sweet honey, salty soy sauce, and nutty sesame seeds come together to make a delicious and mouth-watering chicken dinner that’s not only easy but filling! These pan-fried chicken bites make the perfect one-pot meal that the whole family will love.
There’s no need to spend money on takeout anymore when you’re craving sesame chicken!
Like my Spicy Sweet Garlic Chicken Bites and Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice, this honey sesame chicken recipe is even better than takeout.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal, this One-Pot Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Recipe is perfect.
The chicken breast is pan-fried to create a crispy outside with a juicy inside that’s dipped in an irresistible sticky sweet honey soy sauce glaze sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Serve it over rice or noodles, or throw it on top of a quick oriental salad for added protein!
Why you’ll love this honey sesame chicken recipe
- The sesame chicken recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and tastes out-of-this world delicious!
- You only have to use one pan, which means less washing up.
- It’s a great recipe for the whole family to enjoy, and it’s packed with flavorsome protein!
- It’s versatile and can be served with rice, noodles, veggies or as part of a salad.
- It’s a budget-friendly meal that won’t break the bank!
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cornstarch – for coating the chicken before pan frying
- Oil – vegetable oil or avocado oil
- Honey
- Soy sauce – Use a low-sodium soy sauce if possible
- Brown sugar
- Garlic
- Rice vinegar – also known as rice wine vinegar
- Sesame seeds
How to make Honey Sesame Chicken
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Toss the chicken in the cornstarch to coat, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
Step 2: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the heated skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Remove chicken to plate and set aside.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce slightly thickens. Return the chicken to the pan, toss to coat with the sauce, and cook for another minute.
Step 4: Remove from heat and top with sesame seeds.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How To Store Leftover Honey Sesame Chicken
On the off chance that you have any leftovers, you’ll be able to keep them covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat covered in the oven or over medium-low heat in a skillet.
To freeze, let the cooked honey sesame chicken cool completely, then cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap, place inside a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating, as mentioned above.
What to pair with your Sesame Chicken Breasts
To make your meal more nutritious, pair it up with a variety of sautéed vegetables. Sugarsnap peas, water chestnuts, shredded carrots, baby corn, and bell peppers all make great additions to this dish!
You can also pair it with fried rice, sticky white rice, rice noodles, and more!
Sesame Honey Chicken FAQ’s
Yes! If you prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, they will come out just as tender and delicious. They may be on the greaser side as dark meat tends to be more oily in general.
Yes! You can swap the cornstarch for flour or use a combination of the two if you prefer a thicker coating on your honey sesame chicken. Keep in mind that switching the flour for the cornstarch will add gluten (depending on the flour you use).
Nope, if you want to go a little lighter on the sugar, you can omit it. The honey and soy sauce alone will still provide enough of a sticky glaze to coat your chicken breasts.
Rice wine vinegar is inherently sweet, so you’ll want to use another vinegar that has a sweet undertone like apple cider, white wine, or champagne vinegar.
Do try out this easy recipe, and let me know how your sesame honey chicken turned out!
More one-pot chicken dinner ideas
Sesame Chicken
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Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Toss the chicken in the cornstarch to coat, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the heated skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Remove chicken to plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce slightly thickens. Return the chicken to the pan, toss to coat with the sauce, and cook for another minute.
- Remove from heat and top with sesame seeds. Serve immediately, over rice if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by a third party and intended to serve as an estimate only. The accuracy of nutritional information is not guaranteed.
Yummy for ya Tummy,Let’s Eat!!!
I made this recipe because it was fast. I have to say I thought it was nasty. Didn’t taste anything like sesame chicken I have made in the past.
I also tried because it was easy and sadly I agree with Marie, it was not good.
The sauce never thickened! Just a runny sauce.
Taste was alright.
I believe it is lacking the main ingredient in sesame chicken, sesame oil.
I made this but didn’t use the rice vinegar.My sauce didn’t really thicken but over all it was good.
Incredibly easy and ready in about half an hour! This is a simple and delicious weeknight meal.